1. Field of the Invention
The invention herein pertains to the stabilization of outboard motors during transportation and particularly to stabilizing outboard motors which are attached to boats during trailering.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Objectives of the Invention
During the trailering of boats having an outboard motor attached there is a potential problem of damaging the motor and/or boat if the motor is not sufficiently secure. Traveling at high rates of speeds on highways can cause vibration and shock to the boat and motor, especially if the road is not level and smooth. In addition, trailering at low speeds over bumpy, rough terrain, as must usually be done at launch sites, also has potential for causing damage to a motor that is not fully secured since it may wildly pivot from side to side.
Various types of shock absorbers and other devices have been designed in the past, such as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,016, to help stabilize the outboard motor and prevent damage in certain instances. Such devices are time consuming to install and modifications to the boat or motor structure may be required before installation. Thus, it has been found that an outboard motor support must be easily attached and removed or else it is forgotten and left unused. With the problems and disadvantages of prior outboard motor support stabilizing devices, the present invention was conceived and one of its objectives is to provide an outboard motor support which can be quickly, conveniently installed and removed without modifying the boat or motor from its factory condition.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide an outboard motor support which is relatively simple in construction and low in cost yet which will eliminate trailer shock.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide an outboard motor support which will prevent vertical and horizontal pivoting of the motor during trailering.
It is also an objective of the present invention to provide an outboard motor support that requires no modifications to the boat or motor brackets for installation.
Various other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as a more detailed description is set forth below.